Change of Routine
by Lycan Queen
Summary: A normal day gone bad for Zuko with his companion working at the tea shop one day while the owner, Pao, was out doing a few errands.


One afternoon a group of young boys came into Pao's humble tea shop, laughing heartily at a joke or at one of its fellow group members good naturedly. They sat by the door and had to push a second table together to sit all together. Vaitala fluttered out of the backroom as they settled. She greeted them warmly as she did to everyone, both civilian and customer.

"Hello boys," she got a few replies from multiple boys that all morphed together to sound more like a collected riot. "May I ask what the occasion is?"

"We just won the tournament for earthball." One boy replied. He sat at the end of the table on Vaitala's immediate right. He was quite handsome with his light complexioned face, light pear-apple green eyes and dark brown hair tied back in a long braid that she had seen quite a few of the older men with high statures do. Only his was more modern to match his young face as it did not have that purposely shaven high hairline. He appeared to be the leader of the group.

"Well then I personally would like to congratulate you all," she smiled. The boys grinned.

"What would your name be?" the leader said charmingly enough.

"Kanna." She replied smoothly.

"Say Kanna, your new around here aren't ya?"

"Is it that obvious?" she brought a hand to her cheek in playful mock embarrassment. The boys grinned at her cheerfulness.

"So where are you from?"

"The Southern Water Tribe," she answered humbly, as if it were nothing. The group of teenage boys gaped at her. She was a long way from home.

"Ah, so you're a Water Tribe girl?" The boy with the braid mused casually, his casual smile just highlighted how good looking he was. Not gorgeous, but a definite eye catcher in a group of burly boys. "So tell me would you happen to be by any chance a waterbender perhaps?"

"Sorry no," her pearly white teeth flashing sweetly to the boys.

"Ah, that's a shame." He said, propping his arm on the table and leaning his chin on his fist. Getting himself comfortable for facing her. "I bet you would've made a great waterbender."

"You know I often think the same thing myself," she grinned. The boys chuckled at her light humor; the leader boy just further smirked at her.

"I think you and me are going to get along just fine," She said conversationally, pulling out a notepad from the pocket of her apron along with a writing brush. She had a couple arrogant handsome boys come in and try to sweet talk her before, but never had she had a good looking boy try to strike conversation with her like this one did without unsubtly implying that she go on a date with him for once. She found him quite refreshing.

"So what'll it be boys?"

"A round of pepper-lemon tea on me." The leader smiled receiving cheers and pats from his fellow team mates.

"Well, you're quite the generous one." She smiled at the boy who was also receiving silent praise and cheers from his friends for landing in the good graces of such a pretty girl. The vixen with the dark skin began scribbling on the paper. "Alright a whole pot of pepper-lemon tea. No body has ordered this today so you'll have to wait for a fresh pot to be broiled, apologies. This will be ready in about fifteen to twenty maybe thirty minutes. When it's done if I can't serve it to you then my friend will."

She motioned to Zuko who was at the counter accepting payment from a customer.

"If you need anything just call one of us," she smiled.

"Will do," the leader boy said. Fluttering away, just as she did to greet them, the Water Tribe girl disappeared to go fill in the order and the boys gazed after her. Laughter omitted from the group as hushed praises at their leader's attempt to flirt went around.

"Good one Yurao!" one boy shouted in a whisper. The leader, Yurao, merely shrugged.

"That one's a real catch!" another said. A few other comments went around for awhile before one in particular called the group's attention. One boy called out to his friends quietly, when they all turned to look at him he pointed to the boy with the scar serving a lady tea. He handed her the cup and was going to leave while picking up a few empty and half full ones in neighboring tables. The boy with the scar turned to see his female companion serving a table with her back to him. He went to walk around her to avoid collision. Meanwhile the earth kingdom boy that pointed slowly made a hand motion.

Suddenly a rock no bigger than a fist appeared in front of the boy's feet, it wasn't enough to cause him to fall flat on his face but it did cause him to trip forward. He caught himself, as anyone that trips does, but infelicitously the small tumble caused him to intercept with Kanna who just so happened to be taking a step back at the time. This resulted in all the cold left over tea on his tray to soar and splash. Kanna whirled around in horror whereas the boys at the table did all they could to contain their snickers. The leader didn't think it was that funny and in fact his first instant reaction was a second's flicker of a gaze that suggested an almost eye roll and a crease that appeared across his forehead from a raised brow but evidently he couldn't hold back the small smile that formed on his lips.

"Oh Lee!" Kanna cried out, staring at her soaked coworker. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He answered, gazing only at her, trying his best not to acknowledge the group of earthbending boys or the other staring customers.

The teenage girl proceeded on picking up a dish rag from her tray and let it flop down on his head. She attempted to try drying it one handed but eventually put down the tray on the table. Lifting her hands to his head she began towel drying his wet hair. Her arms acted like blinders for an ostrich-horse on him, only letting him see her face that was rather close to his attempting to be passive one now that he noticed. The close proximity of her concerned and jumbled face made his endeavor for passiveness a success, the irk in his momentarily twitching eye brow vanished and his face smoothed.

"What happened your usually so careful?" she asked dropping the rag to try toweling away some of the tea mixture from his face, brushing his cheek. He sneaked a glance at the group of boys.

"What can I say; the ground came out from under me." Large grins, one humble smile were what was displayed before his amber gaze, one of the boys was silently cackling behind his hand. He looked to his coworker again, lowering her hand by her wrist from his face he brushed off her concerned and uneasy countenance. "Look I'm gonna go clean up,"

"Okay," she nodded.

"You think you can cover for me for a little while?"

"Sure," she nodded again, while he subconsciously released her wrist and she casually held it, rag and all, to her chest. Instead of the common thoughts of returning it to the tray or just letting it hang from her hand by her side, most of her focus was on him to see if he was okay, "you go I'll clean up here."

"Thanks." Zuko said before she stepped aside to let him pass. With about as much dignity as he could of that he had left Zuko slowly walked himself out of the shop with careful, raised arms because of his dripping sleeves leaving behind only a trail and the sound of his squishing shoes.

* * *

This is a preview to a future story that I'll be writing, it is a scene that will be in a chapter. This OC has been in my head since I first saw Avatar in 2005 and has gone through much changing, editing and development over the years and is finally ready to be written. Mind you this story will not be written for a long time, I estimate, I have to find a good schedule and a bad habit of mine is nit-picking everything, so I won't publish until I think that every word in a chapter is perfect! So for now enjoy! And please tell what you think of her and what you are excited to find out, it really does matter. And if you can please, the more experienced and or grammar correct writers, tell me if I did any typos, use apostrophes wrong, too many commas, anything! Please inform me to better myself it will be most appreciated.

Namely, infelicitously, please! As well as others too. I also hope I didn't confuse any of you on the name changing from all the point of view shifting I did.


End file.
